Another dope joint from Portland’s Myke Bogan with singer Blossom on the vocals. A couple of days ago, I was put onto a collective making some ill music out of Portland, Oregon under the EYRST Records label that includes Bogan and Blossom featured here as well as The Last Artful, Dodgr and others. If it’s not Portland that’s the city to watch for next up in hip-hop, it’s definitely this particular label, founded by Martell Webster and local producer Neill Von Tally. So far, the attention to detail and quality of the visuals, let alone the music, speak to a sense of wanting to be around for a while, not just going with the grain for a “hot” record.

You can also check out the live Pickathon performance of this song HERE.

Oakland’s Brookfield Duece brings us a track that’s a throwback to when posse cuts were about steel sharpening steel. Over production from Tha Shipmates, everybody in attendance gets busy. Always good to see something dope come out of the Bay (my home).

The awkward feeling when you feel like you should’ve known about an artist a long ass time ago.

I feel that way about the producer and the rapper here, as “Jazz Crimes” is a single from Bone Music, an EYRST Records collaboration between The Last Artful, Dodgr and Neill Von Tally (2015’s Fractures EP being their first). Portland MC The Last Artful, Dodgr (yes, there’s a comma) is an incredibly unique breath of fresh air while still giving you everything from Missy to Bone Thugs to ODB energy at the drop of a dime, and that’s just on this song. Songs like “Foreclosure” reveal her to be a capable MC who can also sing…pretty damn well, too. Get familiar if you’re not.

If you blink, you may miss the occasional (incredible) Skyzoo project falling out of nowhere. Here’s your warning shot. Skyzoo calls in !llmind for production on this single off of the upcoming Peddler Themes EP, which drops July 21st.

This is by no means difficult, but it also isn’t without a certain level of sketchiness. But if you really want to make that rare gem you can’t get on your streaming service of choice into an mp3 you can have for keeps, then this might be the way to go. Also, if you’re still scared about the future of Soundcloud despite Soundcloud’s reassurance today that it will continue on, you can get all those jams to a safe location in case that glorious ship actually does sink someday (#savesoundcloudstillbecauseIdonttrustit).

If you remember this record from Biggie’s posthumous Born Again album, you’ll remember the DJ Clark Kent-produced version of it being a high point on the overall lukewarm album. Big’s abnormally animated delivery and Sadat X’s unique flow just seemed to make a perfect pairing.

While this won’t be everyone’s fight, this is the hill I’m willing to die on, so come at me. It’s only natural that the majority of music consumers will simply eat however they’re fed. The path of least resistance is always the most frequently traveled and I get that. I just feel too strongly for the art to allow business to get in the way of my ability to consume the music the way I want to in the long run. While it’s a great move for Jay himself (the business/man), I think he’s setting a dangerous precedent by going the exclusivity route with not only 4:44, but with his entire discography aside from a few exceptions (Streets Is Watching soundtrack, anyone?).